Denzel Washington Contributes To Restoration Of August Wilson’s Home

Actor Denzel Washington has helped mark the start of renovations at playwright August Wilson’s childhood home in Pittsburgh.

The Tribune-Review reports Washington headlined a ceremony at the house Wednesday. The actor led a $5 million fundraising effort to restore it. Renovations are to be completed in 2020, when the August Wilson House is to become a center for art and culture.

Washington directed a 2016 movie production of “Fences,” filmed the movie in Pittsburgh and plans to film other Wilson plays. He won a Tony in 2010 for his portrayal of protagonist Troy Maxson in the Broadway revival of “Fences.”

Paul Ellis, Wilson’s nephew, spearheaded the effort to restore the building to its 1950s-era look, matching how it appeared when Wilson lived there with his mother and five siblings.